Device for severing or cutting away superfluous thread ends by removing the same in circular knitting of knitted goods such as stockings or the like hosiery goods



R. PARTHUM Oct.

5 N D DE T T ml Hm DEVICE FOR SEVERING OR CUTTING AWAY SUPERF'LUOUS '1 BY REMOVING THE SAME IN CIRCULAR KNITTING OF GOODS SUCH AS STOCKINGS OR THE LIKE'HOSIERY GOODS Filed Sept. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3,345,834 CUTTING AWAY SUPERFLUOUS THRE BY REMOVING THE SAME IN CIRCULAR KNITTING OF KN wmm o 10,1967 R. PARTHUM DEVICE FOR SEVERING OR GOODS SUCH AS STOCKINGS OR THE LIKE HOSIEHY 60 Filed Sept. 24, 1964 Oct.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,345,834 DEVICE FOR SEVERING 0R CUTTING AWAY SUPERFLUOUS THREAD ENDS BY REMOVING THE SAME IN CIRCULAR KNITTING 0F KNIT- TED GOODS SUCH AS STOCKINGS OR THE LIKE HOSIERY GOODS- Richard Parthum, Nojsomhedsvej 43, Copenhagen-Orholm, Denmark Filed Sept. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 398,882 Claims priority, application Denmark, Sept. 26, 1963, 4,527/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-145) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yarn severing device wherein two rotary cutting members cooperate to sever yarn which extends between the yarn guides and needles. The cutting members are rotatable in intersecting planes and one of the cutting members is a cup-shaped disc the plane of rotation of which is inclined in relation to the plane of rotation of the other cutting member. Finally, the first mentioned cutting member is mounted so as to move away from and in abutment with thesecond mentioned cutting member.

The present invention relates to a yarn severing device for circular knitting machines.

In circular knitting machines, as is known, the yarn is severed when a yarn guide is raised to interrupt the yarn feed to the needles. In some circular hosiery knitting machines, it is particularly advantageous that the yarn severing occurs rather close to the needle cylinder so as to leave a short cut end of yarn on the fabric and thereby reduce subsequent handling of the fabric. A circular knitting machine is also known having a yarn severing device comprising first and second rotary elements provided with cooperating circular cutting edges arranged to engage one another to sever the yarn extending between a raised yarn guide and the needles.

The object of the present invention is to provide a similar device capable of severing yarns closer to the knitted fabric than heretofore possible and in the immediate vicinity of the needle cylinder, so as to leave the shortest possible cut end of yarn on the fabric and thereby appreciably reduce subsequent handling of the fabric.

According to the invention, this is first obtained by having the first rotary severing element or member disposed between the dial plate of the circular knitting machine and a supporting member under the dial plate, the latter being rotatable with the dial plate, whereby this first rotary member together With the second rotary member can best sever the yarn as close to the' knitted fabric as possible.

According to another feature of the invention, this is. further obtained in that the first severing member is so arranged that it can be displaced away from and in abutment with the second severing member in the vicinity of the knitted fabric and the needle cylinder.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device which can remain in working condition and operate effectively for a very long time thus making it well suited for the purpose.

According to the invention, this is obtained in that the first and second rotary severing members are provided with such peripheral surfaces parts of which can abut against each other in a position'normal to the other surfaces of the first fiat severing member. With this arrangement, the said two severing members will solidly "ice catch the yarn for severing, and the members will only be slightly exposed to wear and tear along their entire circumference and remain smooth to provide a long working life.

According to further features of the invention, the dial plate of the circular knitting machine may be narrowed upwardly, e.g. conical with a diameter decreasing in the upward direction. By this arrangement there will be ample space between the dial plate and the needle cylinder of the circular knitting machine for the second severing member to extend perhaps obliquely downwards to the first severing member and for the yarn to get away from the knitted fabric in the best possible manner and across the dial plate and up to a suction channel over the dial cap of the circular knitting machine.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of part of a circular knitting machine in one embodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 a top sectional view taken along line IVIV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates part of another embodiment of the device, viewed in vertical elevation and partly in crosssection;

FIG. 6 illustrates part of a third embodiment, viewed in vertical cross-section;

FIG. 7 is a view taken along line VIIVII in FIG. 6.

As diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the circular knitting machine on a dial plate 3 has a hollow drive shaft 1, having a driving gear 4, mounted in a bearing bush 5 on a stationary dial cap 2. The shaft 1 drives the dial plate in the same direction of rotation as needles 6 in a needle cylinder, not shown,

, and as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a knocking-over sinker 7 and part of a sinker guiding ring 8. Above the dial cap 2 and extending vertically down to open at a small distance thereabout is a stationary suction duct 9 further formed above the From yarn guides 11, at a knitting point or from a knitting system, a yarn 12 is directed to a knitting needle 6 While other yarns 13 have their free severed ends drawn into channel 10. The latter will draw in the free severed ends of yarns 14 from yarn guides 15 of another knitting system or knitting point. From one of the yarn guides 15, a yarn 16 will be directed to a needle 6.

From the yarn guides 17 of a third knitting system, a yarn 18 is directed to a needle 6, while yarns 19 have their free severed ends drawn into channel 10. In the latter is also drawn in the free ends of yarns 21 from the yarn guides 20 of a fourth knitting system. From one of the yarn guides 20 is a yarn 22 directed to a knitting needle 6.

Within the hollow shaft 1, a bronze tube 24, having an eccentric longitudinal bore 25, is rotatably mounted in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 26 having an eccentrically arranged pin 27 at the lower end thereof extending down into a hole 28 of a disc 29 displaceably arranged under the dial plate 3 and formed with an upwardly extending ring edge 30 fitting inside a flat hardened ring 31 or first rotary severing member close beneath dial elements 23 of the dial plate 3. The disc 29 is carried by a plate 36 which is fastened to the dial plate 3 by means of screws 33 screwed up into the bottom 35 of the dial plate which screws 33 have a spacer part 34 each extending through a large hole 32 in the disc 29 to hold the plates 3 and 36 at such a distance from one another that the disc 29 is displaceable between these plates by means of the pin 27 in the hole 23 when the shaft 26- and the tube 24 are rotated. Between the circumference of the dial cap 2 and the dial elements 23 of dial plate 3 is arranged a ring 60 with an upright edge 59 around the dial cap 2.

At the top of tube 24 is fastened a hub 37 having a laterally extending rod 38 connected to a rod 54 of duct 9 by means of a tension spring 55 and also connected by means of a cable 80 to a pin 56 of a sector 78 of a pattern drum 79 of the circular knitting machine, for the adjustment and the securing of tube 24 in a desired position of rotation. At the top of shaft 26 is fastened a toothed wheel 39 concentric with pin 27 and meshing with a rack 40 through the displacement of which the toothed wheel 39 and the shaft 26 may be rotated and kept firm in desired positions by means of a cable 81 connecting the rack 40 with the pin 56 of the sector 78 of the pattern drum 79 and by means of a tension spring 82 connecting the rack 40 with a pillar 83 of the channel 10. By means of these members, ring 31 or first rotary severing member may be displaced eccentrically e.g. from the position shown in FIG. 5, in which ring 31 is concentric with the dial plate 3 and only projects slightly out under the same, to the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, in which one side of the ring 31 or first rotary severing member is pushed eccentrically outwards towards the knitting needles 6 at the same side and out towards a part of a peripheral surface outside a circular groove 41 of a cup-shaped second rotary severing member 42.

Said second severing member 42 has a hub 43 and is, along with this hub, rotatable around a screw pin screwed into an arm 45 of an adjustable beam 46 connected to guiding members, not shown, of the circular knitting machine.

Through the arm 45 and another arm 47 beneath the beam 46 displaceably extends a straight portion of a bent rod 48 provided with a roller 49 at one end for abutment against the inner surface of the upper part of the cupshaped severing member 42. At the other end of the rod 48 is secured a stop ring i Between the latter and the arm 47 and around the rod 48 is arranged a pressure coil spring 51 which will cause the roller 49 to be pressed against the upper part of the cup-shaped second severing member 42, the lower part of which will then be in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, that is, pressed against a portion of the peripheral surface of the first severing member 31. Then the two severing members 31 and 42 abut against each other close to a point where a yarn 53 leaves a part 52 of a fabric 57 on a knitting needle 6 and will catch the yarn 53 and sever it close to the fabric when the yarn 53 is rolled in and thereby severed between the abutting portions of the severing members 31 and 42 during the working of the knitting machine with the parts in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The second severing member 42 is mounted to lean obliquely inwards, e.g. 2030 relative to the vertical plane, and has a diameter such as to afford a space between the needles 6 in the needle cylinder and the dial plate 3 which is correspondingly conically narrowed in the upward direction.

The first severing member 31 may be withdrawn to the position shown in FIG. 5, wherein parts of the circular knitting machine are the same as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the second severing member 42 may be lifted or swung up as shown in FIG. 5 from the space between the dial plate 3 and the needle cylinder, or it may be shifted downwards in the case of certain knitting operations.

When desired, the yarn 53 may be severed so as to give a longer yarn end on the fabric 57, e.g. when the severing members 31 and 42 are pulled away from the fabric, by means of a partly tube-shaped severing member 58, as second severing member, provided behind severing member 42 in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder as shown in FIG. 5. The lower edge of the severing member can roll on the upper edge 59 of the ring 60 and thereby sever yarn 53. Member 58 is replaceably mounted with its upper conical part 61 in a correspondingly conical hole 62 of a shaft 63 mounted in a bushing 64 of a holder of the circular knitting machine.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the cupshaped severing member is rotatably mounted around a pin 66 of a rod 67 clamped in the fork-shaped end of a Z-shaped supporting member 69 of the circular knitting machine by means of a clamping bolt 70. The supporting member 69 is movable in a large hole 71 around a bolt 72 and has an elongated aperture 73 around another bolt 74, against which an adjustment screw 75 screwed into the supporting member 69 and a pressure spring 76 clamped into the supporting member 69 abut. The supporting member 69 and the bolts 72 and 74 can be used in such a manner that the second severing member 42 can be adjusted for abutment with a suitable arch 77, FIG. 7, against the first severing member 31 which give the best result of the severing members and only a small wear and tear of the same.

I claim:

1. A yarn severing device for a circular knitting machine including a dial plate and a supporting member for said dial plate beneath said dial plate, a rotatable needle cylinder carrying a plurality of needles and liftable guides for yarn fed to the needles, said device comprising: first and second rotary members having cooperating circular parts provided with surfaces engaging one another to sever yarn extending between said yarn guides and said needles, said rotary members being rotatable in intersecting planes, the second of said rotary members comprising a cup-shaped disc the plane of rotation of which is inclined in relation to the plane of rotation of the first of said rotary members, the first of said rotary members being arranged between said dial plate and said supporting member and being displaceably mounted between said dial plate and said carrying member to move away from and in abutment with the second of said rotary members in the vicinity of the needle cylinder and a fabric on the needles.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a disc with the first of said rotary members located between the dial plate and a carrying member is connected to an eccentric mechanism by means of which the first of said rotary members may be displaced eccentrically to the side and outwards to the second of said rotary members and inwardly to be concentric with the dial plate.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the cocentric mechanism for eccentrically displacing the first of said rotary members beneath the dial plate consists of a disc with an annular part in said rotary member and with a hole for receiving a pin eccentrically arranged on a shaft, which is mounted in an eccentric longitudinal hole in a tube, which is mounted in the hollow shaft of the dial plate, and to the top of which tube is fastened a hub with an adjustment rod, while to the top of the shaft in the tube is fastened a toothed wheel meshing with an adjustment rack.

4. In a yarn severing device for a circular knitting machine having a dial plate, a rotatable support for said dial plate located beneath said dial plate and secured thereto to rotate therewith, a rotatable needle cylinder carrying a plurality of needles around said dial plate and support and liftable guides for yarn fed to said needles, the combination comprising:

(a) a first rotary circular severing member having a peripheral severing edge and mounted for radial displacement between said dial plate and di -a1 support and for rotation therewith;

(b) means to drive said dial plate and dial support into rotation including eccentric means operatively connected to said first severing member to cause radial displacement thereof during rotation;

(c) a second generally cup-shaped rotary severing member mounted between said yarn guides and said needles and inclined in relation to said first severing member; said second severing member having an inclined inner edge surface so disposed adjacent the severing edge of said first member that the said severing edge comes into abutment therewith for yarn cutting as said first member moves to and from said second member under the action of said eccentric means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1955 Minton 66-145 7/1963 Pike et al. 66-145 8/196 3 Billi et al. 66-145 8/1963 Billi et al. 66-145 1/1965 Haberhaver 66-145 8/1965 Stack 66-140 12/1965 Dusik et a1 66-145 12/1965 Mahler 66-145 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/ 196-2 France. 2/ 196-3 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

R. FELDBAUM, Examiner. 

1. A YARN SEVERING DEVICE FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE INCLUDING A DIAL PLATE AND A SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR SAID DIAL PLATE BENEATH SAID DIAL PLATE, A ROTATABLE NEEDLE CYLINDER CARRYING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES AND LIFTABLE GUIDES FOR YARN FED TO THE NEEDLES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND ROTARY MEMBERS HAVING COOPERATING CIRCULAR PARTS PROVIDED WITH SURFACES ENGAGING ONE ANOTHER TO SEVER YARN EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID YARN GUIDES AND SAID NEEDLES, SAID ROTARY MEMBERS BEING ROTATABLE IN INTERSECTING PLANES, THE SECOND OF SAID ROTARY MEMBERS COMPRISING A CUP-SHAPED DISC THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF WHICH IS INCLINED IN RELATION TO THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF THE FIRST OF SAID ROTARY MEMBERS, THE FIRST OF SAID ROTARY MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID DIAL PLATE AND SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND BEING DISPLACEABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID DIAL PLATE AND SAID CARRYING MEMBER TO MOVE AWAY FROM AND IN ABUTMENT WITH THE SECOND OF SAID ROTARY MEMBERS IN THE VICINITY OF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER AND A FABRIC ON THE NEEDLES. 